Enjoy our Great Trails!

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” ~John Muir
We have the best area trails in America! I hope you are able to make time to enjoy the beauty of our wonderful local, regional and state trails. As John Muir said many years ago, let nature “heal and give strength to body and soul.”
As Minnesotans, we are blessed with many opportunities to experience the great outdoors. In fact, our state trail system was recently named the “Best Trails State” by the American Trails group. The “Best Trails State” award is presented every two years by American Trails, the only national nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail types, including bicycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, equestrian, snowmobile, off-highway vehicle, and water trails.
With such a great trail system, the question isn’t how to enjoy nature, its where to start the journey. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has the answer. Visit their website at www.dnr.state.mn.us and click on the “Shift Gears” banner. There you will find trails that are:
• “Kid Friendliest” Trails – Shorter rides with more restroom opportunities make these trails the favorites for little legs.
• Urban Places – Trails that connect to major Minnesota cities.
• Country Spaces – Farmland and natural settings galore.
• MN State Trails Traveling Through MN State Parks
• Pedal/Paddle Opportunities – Ride your bike, then cool off by hopping on a river.
• Day Trips from the Twin Cities – Minnesota State Trails within 50 miles of the Cities.
• Weekend Getaways – Travel to Minnesota’s destination hot spots.
One of my favorites is the Gateway State Trail. The 18 mile trail begins in St. Paul, travels northeast through Maplewood, North St. Paul, Oakdale, Washington County, and ends at Pine Point Regional Park (four miles northwest of the city of Stillwater). Later this summer, we will celebrate the dedication of the Century Bridge.
Plenty of additional local and regional trail information is available by going to the website for your community, or just call the Parks and Recreation Department. Enjoy the trails, and thanks to the many volunteers and planners who helped make them possible.
As always, please contact me with questions or suggestions about any issue. Please visit my Senate website at senate.mn/senatorwiger. I also encourage you to visit me at the Capitol, or let me know if you’d like me to stop by your home or apartment. Also, please tune in to my local cable TV show, “Your Capitol: What’s Up?,” which appears on public access channels 15 and 16.
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